Identification procedures of bodies cause delay

KIEV: The need for Netherlands' authority to undergo various process to validate the identity of the dead bodies from the victims onboard the downed Malaysian airliner is cited as the reason for the delay of its repatriation before Aidilfitri. Another reason is because the Malaysian investigation team in Kharkiv has found different human body parts, such as legs and arms, lying with the unidentified bodies in body bags.

The Malaysian Police Disaster Victims Identification (DVI) commander, ACP Hussein Omar Khan, said due to the decaying condition of the bodies the Netherlands authority had to take DNA samples from the victims' bones.

"It is time consuming and the experts will also use the dental record and other methods to verify the victims' identity.

"These may take up two or three weeks to complete. So it is impossible the victims' identification can be completed before Aidilfitri," said Hussein, who is involved in the process of scanning and tagging of the MH17 victims' bodies at Kharkiv and a member of the Malaysian special investigation team.

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The Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH17, was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it went down in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, near the Russian border on Thursday.

The Boeing 777-200 aircraft was carrying 298 people - 283 passengers and 15 crew.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced in Kuala Lumpur Thursday that the remains of Malaysian MH17 crash victims were unlikely to be brought back before Aidilfitri.

It is believed that the plane was shot down but until today no one has claimed responsibility for that.

Meanwhile, National Security Council (MKN) Principal Assistant Secretary Lt Col Mohd Sakri Hussain said there were some separated human body parts being put in together with other bodies in one body bag.

"If the body is missing a leg or arm, the personnel who picked up the bodies had put another leg or hand to make the body as a whole.

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"So there is complication to verify which body parts belong to the right victims and this is the challenge that requires more time for Netherlands," he said.

Furthermore the number of the bodies were huge, said Mohd Sakri. - Bernama

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